New York designers don't get much cooler than Sandy Liang. I can easily trace the rise in girlhood-inspired fashion—filled with bows, gingham, and more bows—back to her namesake brand's 2014 launch. Nostalgic flourishes are a calling card in every collection; her runways are an "If you know, you know" source of inspiration for fashion editors who keep their inner child at the center of their mood boards. So when I first heard a Sandy Liang x Gap collaboration was on the way, it shot to the top of my personal 'must-buy' list.
The limited-edition capsule just officially arrived on Gap's website and in select stores. The mix of women's and children's styles finds common ground between Gap's nostalgic heritage and Liang's penchant for a feminine, sweet aesthetic. Think: poplin striped shirts stitched with bows on the pocket, or a vintage Gap sweatshirt spelling "S-A-N-D-Y" across the front.
While fashion people fantasize about owning a closet full of Sandy Liang, the designer says she's always had a Gap collaboration on the vision board. "It's always been such a big dream—so big that I've not really even dreamed about it," Liang tells me. "So when it came, I thought, yes, we have to do this."
When the dream came true, Liang returned to her archives to find pieces that reflected her design DNA and meshed with the Gap ecosystem. In practice, that melding of worlds looks like a covetable take on a classic trench coat adorned with an oversized bow—a Sandy Liang brand signature—across the back. Or, a shrunken zip-up hoodie with faux fur trimming along the hood. The word "Star" replaces the iconic "Gap" text—in bedazzled white lettering, no less.
The resulting collection is accompanied by an animated short film called "Sandy's Dream Closet," which centers on Liang's Lower East Side stomping grounds. More specifically: The street that's home to her father’s Cantonese restaurant, Congee Village. In it, a young Liang imagines the very fashionable possibilities for her future. A campaign with her longtime favorite denim brand sits high on the list.
Naturally, Liang's stamp on Gap's iconic denim range is a standout. Making what she considered the "perfect pair of Gap jeans" was at the forefront of her mind. Her dream pair comes with dainty bows stitched across the back pockets, an instant must-have for obsessives and new fans alike.
"I knew, in Gap's hands, that this would be the best-fitting jeans ever, and would come in the exact wash that I would desire," she says. "They just got everything right."
Liang’s not exaggerating. It only took one stop on the subway for my Sandy Liang-branded Gap shopping bag to catch the attention of two fellow riders, who spent the duration of our shared trip whispering about what could be tucked inside. If they had looked a little harder, they would have seen a reversible shearling-and-vegan-leather jacket and a pair of brown, low-rise carpenter pants with a sweet, embroidered bow on the back left pocket.
I chose the coldest day of the year so far to test the cozy jacket, and I can attest that it kept me warm against the mid-fifties forecast. The trousers may have converted me to a low-rise jean fan: they were snug at first, but not uncomfortable.
As I walked into work that morning, I had an internal 13 Going on 30 moment with my younger self. 12-year-old Julia would have loved 29-year-old Julia’s outfit if she had passed her on the street. (And, she probably would have reblogged photos of said outfit on Tumblr later that very night.) It was the ultimate girlhood moment, which felt fitting for my first Sandy Liang experience.
Senior fashion news editor Halie LeSavage also got her first taste of the brand test-driving the collaboration. Styling the Sandy Liang-branded hoodie and the soon-to-be-viral bow-adorned trench was a pure girlhood moment
“Technically, I already owned versions of the three Gap x Sandy Liang pieces I tried out. But this collaboration makes these tried-and-true staples feel so much more fun,” she says. “The bow-back trench is all serious up front and a burst of whimsy in the back with the giant khaki ribbon. I could instantly style the striped cotton button-up with my very grown-up trousers and flats. Still, I feel like I’m tapping into my inner child when I look down and see the teeny-tiny bow and contrasting collar on the front.”
Her favorite is the classic Gap sweatshirt, remixed with Sandy Liang’s name split between the front and back. “Wearing it to grab coffee in Bryant Park, I got more compliments and questions than I have on any work outfit, ever,” she says. “Whether I style it next with another slip skirt or sweatpants, I love that I’ll be part of the most welcoming girl gang of New York when I wear it.”
Sandy Liang girls of all stripes—from first-time shoppers to longtime fans—will find something to wear all season in this collection. But get those credit cards ready and calendar alerts set. If this drop follows in the footsteps of previously buzzy Gap collabs (this year's Dôen collection comes to mind), I know it will sell out fast.
Trust me: When street style's full of Gap x Sandy Liang bows, you'll want to be wearing them, too. Keep scrolling to see (and shop) the collection.
See the Entire Collection
Shearling adds something fun to this otherwise classic jacket.
These low-rise jeans are on my must-shop list.
Liang has a knack for making everyday finds feel a little sweeter.
Of course the collection includes a Liang-ified Gap sweatshirt.
The '90s vibes are strong in this piece.
